After earning widespread acclaim for Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, all eyes have been on what Warhorse Studios would work on next. Now, with multiple job postings and industry rumors surfacing, speculation is building that the Czech studio could be developing a large-scale open world RPG based on The Lord of the Rings IP!
According to GameRant, Warhorse is currently hiring for multiple positions related to open world design, narrative design, and large RPG development. Combined with parent company Embracer Group’s continued expansion of The Lord of the Rings licensing in recent years, fans are drawing connections between the two. While nothing has been officially confirmed, the discussion has been heating up in player communities.
Kingdom Come’s success has players excited
If the rumor proves true, many players believe Warhorse would be a perfect fit. Simply put, the Kingdom Come series is most praised for its immersive world-building and character progression systems. While the game has no magic, dragons, or fantasy races, the team’s ability to craft authentic medieval atmosphere has earned market validation. So players are now imagining what Middle-earth could look like with Warhorse’s realistic RPG design approach—whether Rohan, Gondor, or the Shire could finally feel lived-in and authentic in ways few games have captured before.
The Lord of the Rings game market is heating up again!
The Lord of the Rings IP has clearly been resurging in recent years. Beyond The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria, Amazon’s series continues expanding the universe, and various game studios have been acquiring licenses. While there have been several Lord of the Rings game adaptations over the years, a genuine large-scale open world RPG has remained remarkably scarce. That’s why any hint of such a project is enough to get RPG fans excited.
The rumor is still a long way from reality
However, the key point right now is that it all remains speculative. Neither Warhorse’s hiring plans nor Embracer’s Lord of the Rings licensing provide direct evidence that a Middle-earth RPG is in development. GameRant also noted this seems more like reasonable speculation based on available information rather than a confirmed project. But based on player reactions, many seem to already be imagining the possibilities. When you put the Kingdom Come dev team together with the Lord of the Rings universe, it’s a combination that’s hard not to get excited about.